By Judy McCracken, Special to the Tribune
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Megan Broome/The Clayton Tribune. Volunteers at First Impressions, a work-need ready clothes closet in Clayton, hold up “Blessing Bags” created by children at Wolffork Baptist Church in Rabun Gap to hand out to homeless people in Rabun County to help serve their needs. Pictured are Regina Sulley; Judy McCracken of Wolffork Baptist Church; Donna Pruitt; Karen Carroll; and Janine Bethel. -
Photo courtesy Linda Page. Children at Wolffork Baptist Church in Rabun Gap work together to create “Blessing Bags” filled with clothes and food items that can be used to hand out to homeless people in the area. Several bags were given to First Impressions, a work-need ready clothes closet in Clayton, to be handed out to individuals in need. The bag donation was made on Monday morning.
Wolffork Baptist Church in Rabun Gap offers children and youth opportunities to grow in faith but also experience hands-on mission opportunities.
The church’s Children on Missions (grades 1-5) and the Mission Friends (PreK) focus in January was the work of Southern Baptists with the homeless in the United States.
Southern Baptist missionaries Jacob and Francine Zalian, serve in Sanger, Calif., and each week the children looked at the different ministries the Zalians used to serve the homeless but also to share the love of Christ.
The first night they learned that people are homeless for different reasons but all have a need for shelter.
Working together, the children built a shelter out of cardboard, plastic and tarps. Then they thought of things the homeless could use to stay warm and how to feed themselves when no electricity is available.
To assist First Impressions, a work-need ready clothes closet in Clayton that also serves the homeless, the Wolffork children packed “Blessing Bags” for the employees to give out during cold weather.
In the bags were items such as a toboggan, lip balm, lotion, socks, oatmeal packets, cough drops,and a hot drink mix.
Rabun County has homeless individuals and the church and the children have become more knowledgeable of ministries that are needed and want to follow the scripture in Galatians 5:13, “Help one another.”
Leaders who work with the children are Maragret Howard, Linda Page, Sherry LaRose, Rosa Miller and Judy McCracken.
A collection of “Blessing Bags” were donated on Monday morning.